Plan B

We have issued a new version of the Plan B position paper on dealing with climate change impacts in the built environment, specifically adaptation and rapid actions to reduce GHG emissions. The PPT file contains additional information on expected climate change impacts.

iiSBE has released the latest version of its Plan B document that outlines a small number of key measures to ensure urban resilience and to rapidly reduce GHG emissions in the built environment sector in the face of climate change. The document is accompanied by a regional input form to allow us to develop regional versions. For more info, contact Nils Larsson at larsson@iisbe.org.

iiSBE has completed an updated version of its position paper on "Climate Change and Plan B", which outlines some of the major climate change issues that affect the built environment, and what steps may be taken to address them. Three of the files are available here.

We are now launching regional versions of this paper. So far we have colleagues in Egypt, Brazil, Philippines and Greece committed to participate. We welcome other expressions of interest to help develop versions that are suited to other regions. Please contact Nils Larsson at larsson@iisbe.org.

A new document developed by a group of about a dozen iiSBE members outlines the views of iiSBE (the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment) on the likely impacts of climate change and the range of reactions that may be expected. The document suggests that it may require some extreme climate-related events taking place in major cities of the developed world to cause governments to take resolute action. In such a case, there is a danger that the immediate needs of adaptation, repair and reconstruction may cause vital mitigation activities to be deferred.

The iiSBE position paper provides a series of 21 suggested actions that could be launched immediately, or at least would be ready for implementation when circumstance allow. The proposed actions are all aimed at rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, but also include some longer-term mitigation actions. They are all generic, which means that application to any specific location would require adaptation and fine-tuning of the strategy.